What is the Dating Game Challenge?

What is the Dating Game, you may be asking yourself... Why the Dating Game? For how long? All reasonable questions however before I answer any, I must tell you all about myself. I am a 20 year old  Mexican-American better yet, a Chicana, college student at a well known University in California. I was raised in a single parent household by a very traditional Mother of two. I am the eldest and the first to attend college in my immediate family. With that being said, I am also the first to move away. The first at it all. I am the practice child.

Now that I got that out of the way... The Dating History begins, I had my first boyfriend at the age of 13. My mother was not the typical Mexican mother that prohibited me dating. She would suggest things here and there and of course tell me "DO NOT HAVE SEX. BE SMART. NO TE QUEDES CON EL PRIMER PENDEJO." Translation: "Do not end up with the first idiot." She still says a lot of those things. Just like she continues to play an important role in how I make my decisions. All in all, I feel that my mother is my biggest influence and the reason behind some, if not all, of the decisions I make in regard to my dating life but that is something I will discuss later...

I had several boyfriends here and there, however my first and most serious relationship began when I was 13 and it lasted until the age of 19. We dated starting middle school until my first year of college. Of course it began as a simple middle school relationship with no intentions of "forever." It was a "break up and make up" relationship with more lows than highs. Six years of accumulated arguments and unresolved problems and the straw that broke the camels back was college. Approximately six years later, I was out of a relationship which was all I knew. I asked myself, "Now where is all my swag?" I did not know where to start, whether to be happy/sad, concerned... It was all new to me.

So now I am here about a year after we broke up... blogging about the Dating game that I started earlier this year. So here starts the good part! 

Why the dating game?

The Dating Game Challenge is what I have named it. After my long and excruciatingly painful long term relationship, I knew that I never ever in my life wanted to date an asshole. Ever. EVER. After haven given so much and recieved so little, I took it upon myself to not settle for just like... I want love. As you read the title it may appear shallow, "Dating Game" so men are her game you may have asked yourself. No. Dating IS the game. Many have referred to it this way and they are right. If you play your cards right, if you take your time and play it smart you will be successful. The Dating Game was inspired by the lovely older woman in my life which range from my mother, aunts, cousins, coworkers...etc. You ask them about their love life and ask them one thing they regret... they tell you "not having dated enough." These woman encourage me to observe and seek for quality traits in men and to promptly disregard and rid myself of the men that are not looking for the same thing that I am. Or for the men that look for other things... (y'all know what that means)

For how long? When will it end?

My mission is to date and get to know many guys in the rest of the year. There will be no status quo to meet however there will be standards. The standards that I look for in men... Which I will further discuss in my following blog. When will it end? The Dating Game challenge will end at the end of the year. I commit to this Challenge and here comes DATING RULE CHALLENGE #1 if there were to be a guy to attempt to change my relationship status he must wait until this challenge is over. Meaning that if the guy is worth it, I will keep dating that one guy. However I am quite certain that there will not be! Today is July 16th, and as of January 1st I have dated a total of 6 guys.... However those stories will come later. Stay tuned ;)